Pause for a while and figure out how you would win this as White.
We will come back to it. Meanwhile here is a cartoon
CHESS magazine May 1978.
A selection of puzzles from the 1960’s but first a quiz.
Q. How many players won the Chess World Championship between 1960 and 1969
A.
Four: Tal, Botvinnik, Petrosian and Spassky.
Apparently a lot say three forgetting about Botvinnik
Eisinger - Rhan Germany 1969 (White to play)
1. Rxb7 Qxe8 2. Bg7+ Kg8 3. Bc4+
Martens - Grabczevski Sweden 1968 (White to play)
1. Rxf7 Rxf7 2. e6 Rf8 3. e7 an easy win for White
Scarlett - Price Cambridge Chess League 1960 (White to play)
1. Qxe7+ Qxe7 2. Bd6 Qxd6 3. Re8 Mate.
Back to this one. White to play and win.
I’ll is play through the technique and eventually you will see how to do it.
Header
FEN
8/8/8/3k4/8/4p1p1/2Q2bP1/7K w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/8/8/3k4/8/4p1p1/2Q2bP1/7K w - - 0 1"] 1. Qc3 Ke4 2. Qc4+ Ke5 3. Qd3 Ke6 4. Qd4 Kf5 5. Qd5+ Kf4 6. Qe6 {Although it appears white is doing nothing there is a plan in progress.} 6... Kg5 7. Qe4 Kf6 8. Qd5 Kg6 9. Qe5 Kf7 10. Qd6 Kg7 11. Qe6 {Can you see it now.} 11... Kh8 12. Qf7 {You stalemate the Black King forcing black to break up that defensive triangle.} 12... e2 {Any Bishop moves failes. 13...Be1 14.Qe1+} 13. Qh5+ Kg7 14. Qxe2 Kf6 {Again we stalemate the black king.} 15. Qe4 Kg5 16. Qe5+ Kg6 17. Qf4 Kg7 18. Qf5 Kg8 19. Qf6 Kh7 20. Qg5 Kh8 21. Qg6 {And it does not matter where the bishop goes white will pick it up with one or at the most two checks.} 21... Bd4 {21...Bg1 white gives a queen check and then plays 22.Kxg1.} 22. Qh5+ {22...Kg8 23.Qd5+ or 22...Kg7 23. Qg5+ all other bishop moves lose in a similar fashion.}
And as if by magic an RHP game with the same material and a similar set up.
waverider77 - flatcap RHP 2011
Here White gave up trying to win and agreed a draw. This one is easier to win The Queen can cover e1 so the White King can join in forcing the Zugzwang.
Header
FEN
8/8/5k2/3p4/2b5/2P1Q3/4p3/4K3 w - - 0 1
PGN
[FEN "8/8/5k2/3p4/2b5/2P1Q3/4p3/4K3 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qe8 Kf5 2. Kf2 Kf6 {If the Bishop moves white will either pick up the d-pawn or e-pawn making the win trivial.} 3. Kf3 Kg5 4. Qe6 Kh5 5. Kf4 {Threatening mate in two. A Bishop move will lose one of the pawns with check.}
Staying with RHP games here a few missed wins
BLandretti - Chad Landretti RHP 2023
White played 64 Qc1+ and the game was drawn. They cannot take on c8 but the win was there. 64. Qc7+ followed by Qxh2.
Ullichamp - S0AP RHP 2016 (White to play)
1.h7 Bxh7 2.Qxe2+ etc or 1....e1=Q 2.Qxe1+ and h8=Q. The game went 1. Kxf4 e1=Q 2. Qxe1+ Kxe1 a draw.
MestreRicardo - Zdogg RHP 2017
Header
FEN
8/8/8/1P2bk2/8/6pp/4Q3/6K1 w - - 0 59
PGN
[FEN "8/8/8/1P2bk2/8/6pp/4Q3/6K1 w - - 0 59"] 59. Qf3+ Kg5 {In the game white played b6 and the game was drawn after Bd4+ g2+ with white forced to play Qxg2.} 60. Qd5 {Preventing a Bishop check. There will be other ways to win, I'm going for the flashy way.} 60... Kf6 {Unpinning the Bishop.} 61. b6 Bf4 {The only hope for black is to get in a Bishop check.} 62. Qd4+ Kg5 {Or Bd5 which meets the same idea.} 63. Qxf4+ Kxf4 64. b7 Kf3 65. b8=Q h2+ 66. Kh1 Kf2 67. Qf4+
